Solitude

Is the weather amazing where you are? It really is lovely here. I was hoping to have gone away to the coast this weekend, but things didn't work out as planned, but there is no point in worrying about what might have been.  Instead I've been out enjoying the sunshine ..... a quick walk to the park and there were sheep as far as the eye could see :)

Sunshine and blue skies the perfect weather to sit and enjoy some outside crochet, look at that concentration on my face, lol

Don't get me wrong I love being with family and friends, but I also love being on my own especially on days like this when I can get outside and just enjoy a slower pace of life than I can during the busy work week.  Just me, sunshine, the sights and sounds of mother nature and doing things that I love.

Hope you all have an amazing weekend.  X

Myth and Magic

The dragon in the last post and my recent trip to Glastonbury, have set me on the path of myth and magic again. I've always loved the idea of fantasy world's full of dragons, wizards, faeries and other creatures of myth.

After my trip to Glastonbury the other weekend I was reminded of a cross stitch picture that I made years and years ago, that has been languishing in the cupboard. I decided that it was high time that it came out of the cupboard and put on display again.

It's quite tricky to take a good photo as it's behind glass and that means lots of reflection.  I would have made this sometime in my late teens or early twenties so getting on for 15 years or so ago now.

I've really enjoyed looking at it again, revisiting all of the lovely detail in the picture and remembering the happy hours that went in to its stitching.  I'd love to be able to tell you who designed this piece, but I'm afraid I wasn't very good at keeping records of my stitching back then.  I have in mind to maybe take it out of the frame someday and make it the centrepiece for a larger hanging, but we'll see.

Also on my trip to Glastonbury I had to treat myself to a little gift.  My sister got me on the path of collecting these nemesis faeries as she has bought me a couple for birthday gifts these last years, so when I saw this beautiful creature holding out her clockwork heart she just had to come home with me.

Although I said at the start of the post that I seem to have be drawn back to myth and magic again, actually I think that it's something that is always in the background somewhere and I noticed that I've been burning these for quite a few weeks now .... more dragons :)

And finally just before I go I think I've decided on the project that I'm going to be making for the next Self 'pay it forward' recipient.  I picked this book up a couple of years ago from a discount book store but have never stitched anything from it, but I think I've found just what I'm looking for in it's pages.  I just need to check I have all of the cotton I need and I can get cracking :)

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

How Am I doing?

Is anyone else shocked that we've flown well in to March already? Seriously where does time disappear to? Is there a time eating monster out there whose only job is to eat minutes out of my days so they disappear before I realise they've gone?

As two months of 2012 have already disappeared I thought I might just indulge myself with a little update post all about me. Do you remember this little post back here, where I talked about all the promises that I'd made to myself for 2012?

I'm happy to say I've been doing pretty well so far.  I've been looking after myself well, regular visits to the gym and eating better, 17 llbs lost so far, not earth shattering but its going at a nice slow steady pace which is good and on target for my goal of losing 4 stone this year.

It's nice to buy local too, going to the high street and the local green grocers, coming back with just what you need, and no extra unnecessary packaging that you tend to get lumbered with at the supermarket :)

I've been spending lots of time with friends and family, and plenty of time outdoors too.  The weather has been pretty mild this winter and so far I've done lots of walking and made a couple of weekend trips away which has been great.  There is nothing quite like the fresh air for blowing out the cobwebs!

I don't have a huge amount of disposable cash these days but I have managed to stretch the budget (in aid of supporting the handmade community of course) and have treated myself to a couple of handmade treasures.

I have my eye on a set of glass coasters at the local gallery too, if they are still there when pay day gets here they will be my handmade treat to myself for March.

I'm struggling with my promise not to let the things I can't change worry me, I think worrying is just in my genes, but I'm working on it. 

Not a bad start I think, let's hope I can keep it up.

Bad Blogger

Well I can't believe that it's been almost a week since I last posted what a bad blogger I am.  I need to meet a rich man who wants to marry me and take me away from the world of earning my living, that way I'll have so much more time for the fun things in life like stitching, cooking, walking, going on holiday and blogging about all of the above :)

Apart from a couple of hours working on city and guilds I haven't had much time for stitching, though my latest patchwork/embroidery is winging it's way to its new home as we speak after I finally made it to the post office today.  Hopefully I'll be able to report soon that it's arrived safely and can show you the whole thing, but for now here is another little peek.

The sun is shining here today, I hope its the same where you are.  Have a great weekend.  x

Happy Accidents

I had an amazing weekend in warm sunshine and blue skies at Glastonbury.  Even though it's only really just down the road from me I've never taken the time to visit and explore.  I had such a joy filled weekend exploring the sites and soaking up the atmosphere.  I'll come back one day soon to post some pictures of my visit but for now I just had to share this coincidence with you.

I've been working away on my new patchwork picture, as I said before I don't want to share too much right now, but it features a big hill with a wiggly path running up it.

I was struck by how similar my picture is to this view of Glastonbury tour ....

... one of the many photos I took last Saturday.  I started the picture before my visit, it's based on a doodle that has been in my head for a while.  I've wanted to visit Glastonbury for the longest time and have seen many, many images of the tor over the years, and while my doodle is not exactly the same as the tower on the tor maybe my subconscious had this place in mind when the doodle came to me, and maybe knowing that my visit was imminent is what drew me to finally getting round to creating my image in stitch.

Coincidence?  Serendipity? Happy accident? Maybe my mind is just making connections that aren't really there, who knows? It's something fun to think about nonetheless.

Fun, family and fresh air

I've had such a brilliant start to my time off work.......

..... lots of laughs, and silliness on two great nights out with my lovely friends.......

 ...... even more silliness at the park with my sister, brother-in-law and my lovely nephews...... I managed to make everyone laugh by taking a tumble down the stairs in full view of everyone at the park - embarrassing and painful, lol..........

Today I have been out enjoying some lovely fresh air ........

... oh and lots of mud, the joys of winter walking.

I've also almost finished my little bison stitchery so hopefully with a bit of work this evening I'll be back to share that with you tomorrow.

Hope you have all had a great start to your week.  X

Love Actually

I didn't get time yesterday to pop by and wish you all happy valentines.  I hope you had lots of love and romance in your day.  I had a really lovely day, no romance for me but I did get to live vicariously through tales of romance from my friends, which is plenty good enough for me right now.  It's nice to know that romance is not dead :)

I received one valentine, picked randomly from a pack of love hearts but it kind of sums up my love life at the moment ;-)

 But my day was not entirely without love, love comes in many different guises. The wonderful people in the team I work with spoilt me with a beautiful card, flowers, balloons, and wine, to help me celebrate/commiserate the fact that I have been working for my employer for 10 years this week.

It's nice to know that you are appreciated and loved, getting through the work day is so much easier when you work with nice people who look out for each other.  In the 10 years that I've been at the company I've been through some really difficult times in my personal life and I know that I wouldn't be where I am today without the support of the good friends I work with.

Let someone who you don't tell very often know how much they mean to you today.  It'll bring them a bit of joy, go on I dare you...... x

Walking on water and other such nonsense

I can't quite believe how quickly time is flying by at the moment.  I have such good intentions to blog regularly but somehow there is always so much going on it never seems to happen. 

Since I last popped by to visit you all I've spent a fabulous day in London, I've been working out hard at the gym and have lost 4llbs, I've spent several evenings with good friends new and old - laughing more than I thought could ever be possible, and I've been out in the cold and snow enjoying the beautiful countryside and getting myself some rosy cheeks.

Life is good at the moment, my heart is happy.  Since moving in to my flat things have been really tight for me money wise, but in a way I'm glad, it's teaching me that it feels good to buy only the things you really need and not just spend willy nilly on the things you think you want, it's teaching me to open my eyes and heart to the new adventures that are all around me everyday.  There is no need to go out and travel the world looking for new adventures and new experiences (granted it's fabulous if you can) but all those things can be found on your very own doorstep if only you just look at your world in a different way than you always have, or take the time to get to know some people that wouldn't usually hang out in your circle.

Go on ..... go out and do something new today ... I dare you.  If you're feeling really brave you could try a little walking on water like this little chap I saw in London last weekend.

Hot chocolate and marshmallows

Still at home today, but slowly starting to feel better so should be back at work tomorrow.  These couple of days have given me a chance to reflect on the first few weeks of 2012, it's hard to believe that a month of the new year has passed already!!

I haven't necessarily managed to stick to everything on my plan of things to work toward in 2012, but I can't be too disheartened with how I've done.  It takes time for new approaches and new ways of thinking to bed in and there are bound to be slip ups along the way.

I have been treating myself well, I have managed to get out and about a fair bit and I have made a couple of fabulous 'handmade' and 'local' purchases too, these are all things to be celebrated.  The main thing I'm finding difficult is to carve out enough time to fit in all of the things that I love in life, there never seems enough hours in the day.

Sometimes it's about accepting that we aren't all super human, it's about making the most of what we've got, the free time we have and forgiving ourselves for taking time out to just sit, relax and do nothing much for a while. 

So for the next few hours, if you need me .......

.... you'll find me drinking hot chocolate and marshmallows from my favourite mug, and sitting back to watch the new Rush DVD I treated myself to on payday .... nothing more, and I'll not be beating myself up about the million and one other things I could/should/ought to be doing instead of being sat around watching TV.

Hope you make sometime for yourself today to just sit, relax and be. X

Getting cosy

Am feeling pretty sick today.  I think I picked up a bug or something  :( 

It's been snowing on and off all day today.  Nothing major just a few flurries and nothing that has life enough to settle on the ground.  All round just one of those days to hunker down indoors under piles of blankets, keeping warm and snugly.

I've been watching TV, burning some of my favourite candles, and putting together some sketches for my city and guild course.  Just lots of nice homely things to distract from feeling sorry for myself.

Self

Life is a funny thing is it not?  People, places, objects all constantly wander in and out of our lives bringing with them happiness, joy, love, surprise, sorrow, tears, but the one thing that remains constant is self.  It suddenly struck me that the one thing that will remain with me for all of my life is me.  An obvious thing I know but sometimes in the turmoil of life it's something that can easily become forgotten.

So 2012 is the year that I have decided I will take better care of myself.  I will strive to live in a way that I think is meaningful, I will do the things that bring me joy and happiness.  I will make time for family and friends, I will spend as much time as I can outside enjoying fresh air and all of the wonders that mother nature brings, I will buy local produce as much as I can and I will support the handmade community.  I will find joy and laughter in everyday and I will not let the things that I can't change worry me.  I will be kind to others even when they don't treat me in the same way.

So here's to a brand new me for 2012

If you leave me a comment and a way to get in touch with you, at some point in 2012 I'll send a little surprise your way.